Rainbows and Bridges

Book excerpt: The loss of a pet companion can be as devastating as the death of a human loved one. Rainbows and Bridges offers an array of thoughtful ways to deal with that loss. Featuring inspirational ideas, exercises, and quotations, this kit includes a frame for the photo of a beloved pet; a detailed guidebook to work through the sorrow and grief attendant on this event; a journal/scrapbook to celebrate the pet’s life; and cards to facilitate religious, secular, or nature-based memorial rituals and healing. Authors Allen and Linda Anderson use these components to address the spectrum of feelings that can arise -- despair, loneliness, anger, alienation, disappointment, and self-doubt. They candidly recount their own experiences with pet loss and present the experiences of others who have struggled and recovered. Rainbows and Bridges gently guides the bereaved through the process of recalling the past, grieving in the present, and finding hope in the future.